The Old Fashioned Murder Matter - Johnny Dollar | 07/16/1961 (Ep749)

0:00Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated. For Lauren even, like your efforts are futile, and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just... fine. F***! Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try Zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations. Because we find the right people for your roles fast. Which is our absolute favorite effort. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder, get a quality candidate within the first day. F***! Fantastic! So, whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip.

1:00Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated. For Lauren, even, like your efforts are futile, and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just... fine. F***! Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try Zippercruder for free. At zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations, because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite effort. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. F***! Fantastic! So, whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip.

2:02Johnny Dollar. Mr. Dollar, this is Herbert Lynn State Unity Life Denver, Colorado. Mr. Lynn? I wonder if you're free to come out here and see me right away. Well, now let me see him. Hope so. Once more, I can promise you a handsome fee, in addition to your expense count, of course, whether my fears are justified or not. Here's a vote, Mr. Lynn. What seems to be the trouble? A murder, Mr. Dollar. That has not yet been committed. I see, but you think we'll be, hmm? I must confess that I alone anticipated, or at least an attempt at it. I hope that you can somehow forestall any such attempts. Well, I can certainly try. Fine. I'll grab the first plane. The CBS Radio Network brings you Mandel Kramer, and the exciting adventures of the man with the action of the compact expense accounts. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar.

3:10Spence accounts emitted by a special investigator, Johnny Dollar, to the State Unity Life Insurance Company Denver, Colorado Office. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the old-fashioned murder matter. The expect to count item 1, $111.45 airfare. The first plane to make the right connections didn't pull out of Hartford until late in the afternoon, so it was close to midnight by the time we sat down at Stapleton Field on the outskirts of the Mile High City of Denver. In spite of the time of year, the mountain air was cold, crisp and clear. It was well after midnight by the time of cab, and that's item 2, $6, even dropped me off at the famous old Brown Palace Hotel. I got myself a comfortable room and hit the sack, and first thing in the morning I dropped in on Mr. Herbert Lynn at the State Unity office in one of the big new buildings in Mile High Center. I suggest you rent a car, Mr. Dollar, because this client of ours lives in Green Mountain Falls. That's a small settlement down just west of Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs. That's sick.

4:11Oh, I know the place well, Miss Lynn. Oh, do you? Mm-hmm. Back in the summer of 58. I spent a couple of weeks fishing out of Lucky Four Rains with my old pal Ray Schmissney. Ray, what did you say? Schmissney, but leave it in out there, name's a lot easier to say than it's spelled. I'm sure it is. Now this client's name is Howard Hartzel. Yes. He's 73 years old, Mr. Dollar, and at one time was quite wealthy, which explains his insurance policy for nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Anything somebody wants to murder him? Yes, I could almost say I'm certain of it. Who, Mr. Lynn, and why? One or all three of his beneficiaries, or at least two of them. One tell me who they are? Well, they begin with Clara Johnson and niece. School teacher in Colorado Springs. 45, I'd say. And about his mean, selfish and grasping and old maid as I've ever seen. Mm-hmm. When she found out about her uncle's insurance policy, she immediately wanted to know why she wasn't made the sole beneficiary. Mr. Hartzel had quite a time with him. What does Clara teach? High school chemistry.

5:12And then there's another niece, Bonnie. She's young, smart, good-looking, married to a plumber by the name of Howard Briggs, also lives in Colorado Springs. They have no children and managed to make a living of sorts. Now, you have the addresses of these people? Yes, right here. I've listed them on a slip of paper for you. There you are. Good, thank you. And finally, as you see, there's Tony Johnson and nephew in Manifold Springs, it says him. Yes. Tony inherited quite a bit of money from his own family. Went through it in less than a year. You know, big parties, expensive cars and girls and so on. And he's now working as a bartender in some cheap saloon there in Manifold Springs. Lazy, no good waste road dollar. In other words, if something does happen in your book, he'll be number one suspect. Yes, and I pride myself in having a sort of instinct in such matters. Which of the two girls, the nieces, would you put next? Well, if there were any reason to suspect anyone else, I should say Clara.

6:14I'm sure that when you see Bonnie and talk to her, you will realize that she couldn't even think in terms of murder. What's that? Oh, excuse the chocolate, I suppose. All the stuff you read in detective stories means anything. Then Bonnie is the one I should suspect. Didn't you hear me? She wanted because she apparently is above suspicion. He was safe yourself. But suspect of what? Has there been any actual attempts in murder, Mr. Hatzel? Twice, Mr. Hatzel was narrowly missed by a car that bore down on him as he was crossing the highway in front of his place. Mr. Lin, you're talking about Route 24 that cut through a youth pass. There are green mountain falls. I am. Good grief, as I remember the traffic on that main highway. Howard Hatzel is absolutely certain that each time the car tried to run down. And it was the same car each time. Well, then early one morning, a small caliber bullet plunged through the window with his living room, missed him by only a couple of feet. Might be a careless hunter. Then there was a mysterious fire at his home. In the middle of the night, Howard, if a passing motorist hadn't seen it, even so. And Mr. Hatzel was confined with bed at the time.

7:17He wouldn't have stood a chance. Incidentally, there's another thing. What's that, sir? His health recently. After all, I believe you did say it was 73. But up until recently, as healthy as specimen, as you could, why, if I'm in his good shape when I reach that age as he is, or rather was? What's in the trouble? I tell you, dollars, that whatever's ailed him has been too old-fired mysterious. Hasn't he had a doctor? That's another thing. That ancient family doctor of his, Dr. East today. What about him? Well, if you ask me, his name ought to be yesterday. He should have quit practice 20 years ago. But he's the only one that Hatzel will have. Matter of fact, Dr. East today is living there with him now to protect Hatzel, he says. Oh. Yes, and I suppose I must give the old pill to push a credit for that anyway. How do you mean? Well, I'm not the only one who feels that Hatzel's life is in danger, but those things that have happened weren't accidental. Now, that fire didn't come from any greasy rags.

8:17Is that what the fire department said? Yes, but I don't believe it. Tell me, Mr. Hatzel's sick right now. Right now he's on the men from this last attack of, well, whatever it is. Liver ailments, as old East today. I think he was poisoned. Have these nieces and the nephew been to see him recently? Not since the dark move didn't ever leave me. And that's been a couple of months now. He's allowed them absolutely no contact whatever with his uncle. Well, if they've had no contact with him, how could they poison him? That's what you've got to find out, dollar, and find out which one and bring him to justice. Him, you say? Of course. It has to be that no account nephew, Tony. Well, that's just because there's no reasons to suspect her. I suppose you'll go to work on Bonnie. And so then I think you're making a couple of mountains or two out of a mole hill. Oh, you do. That is long as I'm here. I'll look in on these folks you've mentioned. I remember one thing, dollar. If I'm right, if. And I'm sure I am. Well, whoever would plan to the murder of the uncle

9:19would be only too glad to get you out of the way. So, Mr. Leonard, give it me a good idea. Possibly a dangerous one. It was simply to make no bones about who I was, why I'd come out here, why I wanted to see him talk with him. The nieces and nephew, I mean. The end of one of them did try to make a fast move. Get me out of the picture. I'd be on guard. It was a pretty sure way of knowing who was after something. Item three, $1.95 with a phone call to tell the relatives and the old man that I was on my way to. Item four, $50 deposit on a rental car. I'd like to stop off at the US Mint then and then everyone the largest in the country to see if they were handing out any free samples. But instead, I headed south on 87 past the big new Air Force Academy in the Colorado Springs. Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F-words.

10:21When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated. For Lauren even. Like your efforts are futile. And you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people only to get flooded with candidates who are just... fine. F***. Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try Zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations because we find the right people for your roles fast which is our absolute favorite f-word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So, whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip. Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words.

11:21When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated. For Lauren, even. Like your efforts are futile. And you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try Zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite effort. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic! So, whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip. Clara Johnson, the oldenies, lived in a tiny three or four-room house badly in need of repair on a side street or cascade avenue.

12:22Fortunately, for a pretty obvious reason, the interview was a short one. Sort of ditching us, that's all utterly ridiculous. Now, Mr. Johnson, I needed Uncle Howard, the old fool, should have included all those other two in his will. In his insurance, possibly in decent. Tell me, did your uncle have much of an estate besides the insurance? No, not anymore. But do you know how much that insurance is? I have a pretty good idea. Nearly $250,000. And do you know what that would mean to me? To me, who's worked and struggled along all these years alone? I could give up this miserable teaching of those nasty, unappreciative brats, the high school. I could travel, go abroad, enjoy myself for a change, the way I deserve to after all these years. And I don't you think that Tony and Bonnie. Look at Bonnie. She had that young husband to take care of her, give her everything she wants, or at least most everything. And she's pretty. She has a nice figure. And do you think that that Tony deserves anything? After the way he went through the fortune that his father left him? He does not. Well, remember that.

13:22Keeper, that's what he is. And always getting into scrape for those gangsters that hang around that dive where he works. It's disgusting. Miss Johnson. I'm the one deserves that money. All of it. Clara. If only the whole Meister would die before it's too late, before I get too old. But it keeps on living just to spite me. Too bad you can't help him along, then, isn't it? Well, don't think I don't wish I could, Mr. Dollar. Believe me, if I could find some way to, to, oh, oh, no, no, no, I, I didn't mean that. Didn't you? No, no, I shouldn't have said such a thing. Well, I'm afraid you did. Thanks very much, Miss Johnson. Now, wait. I just mean that the way you've found it. Bye. My next stop along the way was at Harry Briggs funding shop. Barney was there, holding down the store, while her husband was out on the job, and she was pretty. Although, it always kind of stops me a little when I see a girl working at her makeup over a business desk. And I was so glad when you phoned to save it.

14:24You were here to kind of look out for Uncle Howard. Well, oh, I'd call Tony and told him you'd be seeing him too. Here. I look better now. Oh, you look like a million. Well, thanks, Johnny. Gee, you're cute for a private eye. Oh, thank you, ma'am. Now, Derby knows the guy in the corner of your mouth. This is a real good-looking guy. Yeah. Only I shouldn't talk like that, should I? Well, I'm afraid of flattery or we'll get you nowhere. Oh, darn. Tell me, did you mean that YouTube been worried about your uncle? Well, of course, after those cars, it almost killed him. That fire at the posture of his house and these sicknesses he's been having one after the other. Oh, I'm sure the doctor is today doing all he can for him, but much as Harry needs me around here, business isn't too good these days. And I feel I ought to be out there taking care of Uncle Howard, nursing him. It isn't as if I didn't know how. What do you have you? No, no, he wouldn't, Johnny.

15:25I'm afraid he thinks that all Clara and Tony and I keep hoping is that he'll die and leave us that insurance. It isn't that true? Should I lie and say no? Of course, we'll be glad to get that money all of us. That's the proper time. Completely forthright in Frank and I must admit I was well impressed. Maybe Herbert Lynn was a good judge of character. He was certainly right about Tony there in the cheap bar and grill over a man at his springs. This was a character I didn't like immediately. Short, thin, hair plastered down with nervous hands and shifty eyes that close together. As we stood there behind the bar talking with Tony claiming only undying affectionate for a poor Uncle Howard. Another man came in and stood by as a waiting for Tony's signal to rough me up. Now Mr. Lynn was right over. I wouldn't have trusted Tony as far as I could throw the implant state building. Sure, Dollar.

16:25You can figure somewhere to knock off your man. Well, I know three of us is a glad to cut you in on that nice fat hunger of insurance. What good is he living out the rest of these days? Sick half the time. Maybe you'd like to help him along, huh? You think I wouldn't wise guy if I thought I could get away with it? I don't pull any boo boo's, Tony. Don't worry, buddy. I'm too smart or I'll talk. Hey, look, I got to get ready for the afternoon's reign, huh? Go ahead. Maybe I'll see you later. Sure. Any old time? You usual, Eddie? The important thing now is to see Mr. Hotsol and the old family doctor at Green Mountain Falls. I walked around at the back of the swing, got into my car and turned on the ignition. But in that brief moment before the starter took hold, I heard a buzzing under the hood. It sounded like I knew only too well. That car had been wired. I jumped out and ran almost three late.

17:28I know. A lot of time the smoke cleared away from the carefully set explosion I was blocks away at another car rental agency. I knew that Tony would be even further away. If that is, he was the one who planted the bomb. So item six is another 50-dollar deposit on another rental job. I sped up to Green Mountain Falls then to keep the data promised over the phone. An answer to my knock on the small two-story home there on the side of the mountain. Mr. Duller, that's right, Mr. Hutsle. No, I'm Dr. Esteve. And thank heaven you've got here. Oh, I'll be there. I'm afraid you're too late. Do you mean something's happened to him? Howard Hartsel is dead. When, just a few moments ago, would you like to come in?

18:29Yes, I think I'd better. We can sit here in this combination living bedroom of mine. Unless you wish to see him, because there's really no point in it. How did he die, Doctor? It was a severe case of toxic jaundice. Oh, jaundice? Yes, this hemolitic jaundice, a liver condition has been bothering him for quite some time. Just one moment, Doctor. Yes. Well, in spite of your bad fancy medical terms, something has just run the bell. I can't quite tie it down. You're sure that jaundice is what killed him? Mr. Duller, after all, I've been practicing medicine some 50 years. Well, maybe that's good, and maybe it's bad. I beg your pardon. When I was not here before on a vacation, I had an infected finger. Well, I failed to see where the doctor who treated me was the unfunnel by the name of Ed Wilson. Where's your phone? What young Dr. Ed Wilson had to tell me was more than a little interesting.

19:31That's right, Johnny. The administered repeated intervals, even my new quantities of arsenic compounds, may produce a subacute type of poisoning. Go on in. Well, the victim may develop a toxic degeneration of the liver. It may progress on acute or subacute yellow atrophy that's accompanied by an intense toxic jaundice. I see. And that in turn can be followed by severe, even deadly gastroenteritis. And is that sort of poisoning something that might fool an old-time doctor who hasn't kept up with modern developments in medicine? Johnny, I wouldn't want to go so far as to know what is always anyway. Thanks, Ed. Thanks a lot. Do you mind telling me what there was all about, young man? Doctor, I want you to have an autopsy made immediately. But there was a position in attendance at his death. I myself, but it's necessary. Doctor, will you please order the autopsy? Very well, if you insist. The result, arsenic poisoning beyond the least shadow of a doubt,

20:33but then came the real problem. How and when was it given to him? More important, how it was given to him in small doses over a long period of time and by whom? I, Mr. Do. Apparently, you're the only one who's been with him all this time. But you think that I might... Well, I hope so, Doctor. He said, yet? Yes. Well? All right, I suppose I can't blame you for one thing about me. Ever since I began to worry about him and he began to suspect his relatives of planning his death, I've permitted no one else to see him. As you can see, I have my room and bath here on the first floor, his or on the second. And there is no way anyone could have gotten to him up there without my knowing about it. You always ate the same food he didn't? Always, and I prepared it myself. The overtime during his waking hours when I wasn't with him watching over him was when he was in the privacy of his little bathroom up there, and yet somehow, did Clara ever come here to see him? No, no, no. As I told you, ever since I've been here...

21:33How about Tony? Well, Tony hasn't been here since the day he... And even then, I didn't let him in the door since the last time he delivered a bottle of whiskey. Whiskey? Yes. In the beginning, I had Mr. Heichsel take a small quantity of it each night, as a stimulant. Well, all right then. Well, that was stopped months ago. Oh. Where's the rest of the whiskey? Oh, I'm afraid. I drank it myself. Oh, well then, that's up. Now, how about money? Well, I told you, Mr. Dollar. Yes, you told me. Even her husband, when he came to fix the plumbing in the basement. Oh. But that was two months ago. Yes. Even he wasn't permitted inside the house proper. I see. Hmm. You say you did the cooking thing? Yes. Who brought him groceries? I did all the shopping myself. No one could possibly have contaminated them, and I myself ate them. And while you were out shopping, the house was locked. And Mr. Heichsel, let no one in. You're sure of them? Absolutely. Because during the past month or so, he was upstairs.

22:33A neighbor to come down here at somehow, somewhere. Wait a minute. Posterior. A fire in the posterior of this house. What? That's the way it was told to me. And that's what's going to tie up this case. I'm afraid I don't have that. Not the back of the house. Doctor, but the posterior. That's what you would have said. You a doctor. So would a nurse. And a nurse would know all about arsenic too. Well, of course. But I told me that she ought to have been here taking care of him. Nursing him. That she knew how. Of course she'd been a nurse, Mr. Dollar. And her husband is a plumber. Come on, doctor. Let's see if we can find the green telltale that arsenic would leave up there in his bathroom. Say around the nozzle of a water spigot. And that's exactly where we found it. And downstairs in the cellar. Hitting behind a furnace pipe and hooked up to that cold water line. Not the line to the kitchen or the bathroom on the first floor. But hooked up to the line to the second floor was that ingenious, deadly device. A small container half full of an arsenic solution with a valve. So that only a drop at a time would enter the pipe that gave Mr. Hartsel his drinking water. The one drop at a time that killed him.

23:38Funny. It wasn't the sweet gentle bunny who finally broke down and confessed that little plot. But her husband, the plumber who'd rigged the device. Who'd also rigged my car for that explosion. So once more it's up to the courts. My only regret is that wetless Tony and selfish Clara will share that nice hunger insurance. Expense of counsel including the trip home. 347.85. Yo, it's truly Johnny Dollar. You're truly Johnny Dollar is written by Jack Johnstowe, produced and directed by Bruno Zirato Jr. Musical supervision by Ethel Huber. Johnny Dollar is played by Mandel Crane.

24:39Also heard in our cast where Leora Thatcher is Clara, Blossom's servie is Dr. Easterday. The story is written by Jack Johnstowe, produced and directed by Bruno Zirato Jr. Musical supervision by Ethel Huber. Johnny Dollar is played by Mandel Crane. Leora Thatcher is Clara, Blossom's servie is Dr. Easterday. Patsy Campbell is Bonnie, John Seymour is Robert Lynn, Richard Holland is Tony, and William Lutton is Dr. Ed Wilson. Be sure to join us next week, same time, same station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny Dollar. This is Alan Burns speaking. Johnny Dollar has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.

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